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OPINION

Donate bottled water to Flint

Ventura County Star
Published 3:14 p.m. PT July 7, 2018

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Protesters march in Flint, Michigan, in 2016 to draw attention to the city's water crisis. Louisiana is attempting to avert potential health crises by working with struggling water systems.(Photo: Getty Images)

In April 2013, the city council of Flint, Michigan, voted to change the source of water for the city in an effort to save money. This would bring in water from the Flint River, a river that gets its water from Lake Huron.

Flint had previously used Detroit as its water source and, switching away would save the city 19 million dollars over eight years. The water taken from the Flint River was not filtered properly and, as a result, citizens began to complain about the strange color and smell of their water. Large quantities of lead were found in the water, as well as bacteria that could serve as a precursor to E. coli. Many Flint citizens became sick as a result of this water crisis. Their symptoms included hair loss, memory loss, fatigue and seizures.

In September 2015, government officials recognized that the water was unsafe. In early 2016, a state of emergency was declared, and a program was developed to distribute bottled water to the citizens while their contaminated pipes were replaced.

In April 2018, the bottled water distribution program was terminated. This left many people without water that they were comfortable drinking. Although the lead content in the water had gone down dramatically, the pipes have not been completely replaced and the project is predicted to be completed sometime in 2020.

As a country, we should take action quickly in a situation like this. While I understand the reasoning behind the decision to limit free water, the citizens of Flint need help now more than ever. I propose that we start donating bottled water to support the city. As Americans, it should be our obligation to help one another in our times of need.

Evan Block, Newbury Park

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